Texas Rangers Boast 'Serious Starting Pitching Depth' Entering Season
![Sep 20, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers pitcher Jacob deGrom (48) pitches against the Seattle Mariners in the second inning at Globe Life Field. Sep 20, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers pitcher Jacob deGrom (48) pitches against the Seattle Mariners in the second inning at Globe Life Field.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_3433,h_1931,x_0,y_168/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/inside_the_rangers/01jjpp7t42mya1rssc2n.jpg)
The Texas Rangers will be looking to bounce back this coming season after a disappointing campaign in 2024.
After winning the World Series in 2023, it was a tough year for the Rangers in 2024. While the team dealt with injuries, the starting rotation was a bit of an issue throughout the year.
Last season, it was Nathan Eovaldi who led the way for the rotation, totaling a 12-8 record, 3.80 ERA, and 16 quality starts. However, after him, it was a bit of a mess with injuries to key pitchers and young arms trying to find their way.
Not having consistent starting pitching throughout a long season is hard to overcome, and Texas found that out.
With just two starters making 20 or more starts, the Rangers will be hoping that 2025 will be a much different story for their rotation.
Recently, Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report wrote about what the starting rotation will look like for the Rangers. He highlighted a couple of pitchers coming back from injury and some young arms that appear hungry to crack the starting five.
“For the first time in years, there is serious starting pitching depth in the Rangers farm system, and former Vanderbilt teammates Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter will compete with Cody Bradford, Dane Dunning and non-roster invitee Adrian Houser for the No. 5 starter job," he wrote.
When looking at the rotation heading into 2025, the first player to consider is Jacob deGrom. Since signing with Texas, he has been a non-factor because of injuries. However, he was able to come back at the end of last season and knock off some rust. If he can stay healthy, he will still likely be one of the best pitchers in the game.
In addition to deGrom coming back and being healthy, the Rangers will also be rooting for the same with Tyler Mahle, who made just three starts last year after he recovered from Tommy John surgery. It's part of the reason why re-signing Eovaldi to a three-year, $75 million deal was so important. Texas also has Jon Gray, who is in the final year of his contract.
But the strength of the rotation might be the pitchers who are coming up next.
The Rangers have a plethora of talented young arms in their system with Cody Bradford, Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter all being viable options in the rotation.
Spring Training will be very interesting to see which of these pitchers are able to separate themselves from the pack.
Due to the injury history in the rotation, the depth for Texas in the rotation is going to be key. While the young pitchers of the Rangers might not have been ready to really contribute in 2024, the expectation should be that they can fill in if someone misses time.